(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for enabling casting of at least two casting mould means, e.g., casting moulds or casting balls, at the same time.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Casting apparatus comprising a single mobile gutter or melt transfer device movable along a casting line is already known - see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,156,446, issued on Oct. 12, 1915 to R. Taylor and L. A. Miley and Swedish Patent Application No. 8206437-9 (Published Application No. 440,752). In such known apparatus the casting line comprises a number of casting moulds moving continuously along the line. The gutter is mounted for movement back and forth along the line moving forwards with a particular casting mould to enable the mould to be filled with molten metal and moving backwards to the following casting mould ready for transferring melt to that mould when the gutter moves forward again. The gutter accompanies the different casting moulds, when moving in the forwards direction, with the aid of carrier means during tapping of molten metal from a furnace. Disadvantages of this known arrangement, however, are that the time required for casting is too short for each casting mould, the speed for obtaining sufficient casting is too high, and the moulds run the risk of being damaged.
The present invention aims to provide a solution to the above problems and other problems associated therewith.